Orbiting head for coreless coiler



May 8, 1962 E. J. CRUM 3,033,484

ORBITING HEAD FOR CORELESS COILER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1959 'il'l'l'li'l'liiiiT l I l I [ll] i I l WI Illlllll INVENTOR E.J. CRUM ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 J. CRUM ORBITING HEAD FOR CORELESS 'COILER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 15, 1959 FIG. 4.

i :III l IN VENTOR E. d. CRUM ATTORNEY May 8, 1962 E. J. CRUM 3,033,484

ORBITING HEAD FOR CORELESS COILER Filed July 15, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR E. J. CRUM ATTORNEY United States. Patent Ofiice 3,033,484 ORBITING HEAD FOR CORELESS COILER Eben Jefferson Crum, P.0. Box 6763, Towson, Md. Filed July 15, 1959, Ser. No. 827,336 11 Claims. (Cl. 24282) This invention relates to the formation of coreless coils of strand material, particularly wire, and it is more specifically concerned with machines for forming such coils.

An object of the invention is the provision of a coreless coil forming device in which the coil is formed by depositing on a horizontal support consecutive loops of wire in a circular pattern.

Another object of the invention of such a device in which the consecutive loops of wire are displaced on the horizontal support by motion of an overhead unit that forms the loops and drops them directly onto the horizontal support.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for supporting such a loop forming structure and for moving it in relation to the horizontal support to effect a deposit of the loops in a predetermined manner.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such means which operates smoothly, efficiently and dependably.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means in such a device for adjusting the displacement between consecutive loops as they fall on the horizontal support.

These and still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description considered together with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the upper end of the embodiment broken away from the remaining portions.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 extending through the head section.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section along the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of the power and hydraulic system.

Referring with more particularity to the drawing in which like numerals designate like parts, the embodiment illustrated comprises a vertical enclosure shell 11 at the upper end of which is mounted, such as by welding, a flat mounting plate 12 which projects inwardly from the upper edge of the shell.

On top of the mounting plate 12, there is secured, by bolts 13, a ring 14. The inner periphery of the ring 14 has an annular groove 15 which functions as one race for ball bearings 16. The other race 17 is formed on the outer abutting periphery of an adjacent ring 18 which comprises the lower part of a two-part camming unit 19. The upper part of the camming unit 19 comprises a plate 20 which rests on top of the ring 18 and is secured thereto by means which permit relative horizontal adjustments. These means include a bolt 21 that passes through a radial slot 22 of the plate and anchored to the ring 18. A washer 23 is disposed between the bolt head 24 and the plate to improve the holding action.

Another radial slot 25 in the plate 2% is diametrically opposite the slot 22. A bolt 26 having a head 27 within the slot 25 is threadedly engaged with an aperture 23 in the ring 18.

The shank of an adjusting screw 29 is longitudinally disposed in the slot 25 and is threadedly engaged with the nut head 27. The head 30 of the screw 29'is disposed in a slot 31 transverse to the slot 25 and on the 3,933,484 Patented May 8, 1962 opposite side of abutment shoulders 32 for the screw head.

Additional means for holding the two parts of the camming unit together comprises slotted bosses 33 formed in the upper plate 20 and bolts 34 passing through the slots 35 of the bosses and threadedly engaging the ring 18, substantially as shown, the slots 35 being parallel to the slots 22 and 25.

The upper plate 20 of the camming unit is provided with a circular aperture which is disposed eccentrically along the diameter of the ring 18 across the slots 22 and 25, whereby the effective eccentricity can be changed by turning the adjusting screw 29 and causing the plate 20 to be shifted relative to the ring 18 along the diameter of eccentricity.

The inner arcuate surface of the plate 20 is provided with an annular groove 36 which forms one race for a series of ball bearings 37, the other complementary race 38 being formed in the adjacent surface of a circular head carrier plate 39.

By these means, the plate 39 is constrained to move in an orbital path when the camming unit 19 is revolved relative thereto and to the ring 14.

The unit or head 40 for receiving wire 41 or other strand material from an outside source (not shown), forming consecutive loops 42 therefrom and dropping the loops off one by one is an element of the combination comprising the present invention and is, therefore, shown generally in the accompanying drawing without detail. It is eccentrically secured to the carrier plate 39 by means of bolts 43 or any other suitable means, and hence orbits with the plate. The loops are formed on a vertical drum 44 of the head unit and are consecutively dropped from the drum to a vertically movable horizontal support 45 therebelow.

The lower end of the drum 44 is surrounded by a cylindrical ring or shell 46 which guides the loops 42 as they drop onto the support 45 and restrict their spreading. The ring 46 also supports spring fingers 47 which press against loops 42 lying on the drum 44 and acts to support the loops on the drum to permit tight winding. As these coils move downwardly on the drum, they are released from the action of these springs and become free to fall onto the support 45. The diameter of the final coil is determined by the inside diameter of a hollow vertical drum 48 which is disposed between the ring 46 and the support 45 eccentrically of the ring 46.

The ring 46 is supported by brackets or suspenders 49 (only one shown) attached to and depending from the plate 39. The drum 48 is supported by arms 50 (only one shown) connected to and projected inwardly from the shell 11.

The camming unit 19 is driven by a motor 51 bolted by bolts 51A or otherwise attached to the bottom of the plate 12 through a gear 52 secured to its take-off shaft 53. The gear 52 meshes with gear teeth 54 cut on the outer periphery of the ring 18.

A restraining arm 55 has one end pivoted to a post 56 on the carrier plate 39 and the other end to a post 57 on the outer mounting plate 12.

As the camming unit 19 is driven by the motor 51, the head 40 on carrier plate 39, being oriented in one general direction, is constrained to move relative to the horizontal support 45. The diameter of the circular path can be varied by varying the eccentricity between the two parts of the camming unit with the adjusting screw 29, thereby varying the overall diameter of the coreless coil to be formed with the machine.

The mechanism for coiling the wire about the drum 44 is driven by a hydraulic motor 58. The output shaft 59 of the motor 58 is geared to the shaft 60 of a variable a displacement pump 61 by means of a sprocket chain 62A engaging sprockets 62 and 63 of the shafts 59 and 60, respectively.

The motor 51 is also of the hydraulic type and it is connected in a hydraulic circuit comprising the pump 61, hydraulic cable 64 which carries fluid under pressure from the pump 61 to the motor 51, hydraulic cables 65 and 66 which return fluid from the motor 51 to the pump through a reservoir 67. The conventional relief valve 68 is provided between the cable 64 and the reservoir 67.

The variable displacement pump 61 with adjustment valve 69 has a handle 70 for changing the displacement factor. This has the effect of changing the relative speeds between the motors 51 and 58 and hence the density of the final coil as a function of these relative speeds.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a horizontal support, a unit for forming a plurality of loops of material and then dropping them vertically onto the support consecutively, a horizontally movable member supporting said unit, and means for moving said member in a circular path relative to said support.

2. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary member, a member movable in a horizontal plane relative to the stationary member, a unit carried by said movable member for forming a plurality of loops in strand material and then dropping them vertically in consecutive relation, and means for concomitantly moving the movable member and the unit carried thereby in a horizontal circular path relative to the stationary member.

3. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary member, a member movable in a horizontal plane relative to the stationary member, a unit carried by the said movable member for continuously forming a plurality of consecutive loops in strand material and then dropping them in consecutive relation, and camming means between the stationary and movable members for moving the movable member in a circular horizontal path.

4. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary member, a member movable in a horizontal plane relative to the stationary member, a unit carried by the said movable member for continuously forming consecutive loops in strand material and dropping them in consecutive relation, eccentric camming means between the stationary and movable members for moving the movable member in a horizontal circular path relative to the stationary member, and means for changing the eccentricity of the camming means.

5. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary supporting structure, a carrier member horizontally movable on the structure, a unit supported by the carrier member for forming loops in strand material and dropping them in consecutive relation, an eccentric plate cam between said stationary supporting structure and said carrier member, means for driving said cam plate, and means for constraining the carrier member to move in a circular path as the cam plate is driven.

6. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary supporting structure, a carrier member horizontally movable on the structure, a unit supported by the carrier member for forming loops in strand material and discharging them in consecutive relation, the discharge end of the unit being lowermost, a cylindrical shell surrounding said discharge end and extending downwardly therefrom to prevent excessive spreading of loops discharged by the unit, and means for concomitantly moving the cylindrical shell with the carrier member.

7. In a coreless coil forming machine having an orbiting head, a support for said head comprising a carrier plate, means connecting the head to the plate, a stationary ring surrounding the plate, an eccentric cam unit between the carrier plate and ring, separate anti-friction means between the cam unit and the ring on one side and the carrier plate on the other side, means for driving the cam, and an arm between the carrier plate and the stationary ring for constraining movement of the carrier plate to a circular path.

8. In a coreless coil forming machine having an orbiting head, a support for said head comprising a carrier plate, means connecting the head to the plate, a stationary ring surrounding the plate, a two-part eccentric cam unit between the carrier plate and the ring, separate antifriction means between the carrier plate and cam unit and between the cam unit and the ring, adjustable means for holding the two parts of the camming unit together in diflferent relative positions, and means for driving the cam unit.

9. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary supporting structure, a carrier member horizontally movable on the structure, a unit supported by the carrier member for forming loops in strand material and discharging them in consecutive relation, the discharge end of the unit being lowermost, a cylindrical shell surrounding said discharge end and extending downwardly therefrom to restrict the spreading of loops discharged by the unit, and means supporting the cylindrical shell on the carrier member for concomitant movement therewith.

10. A coreless coil forming machine comprising a stationary supporting structure, a carrier member horizontally movable on the structure, a unit supported by the carrier member for forming loops in strand material and discharging them in consecutive relation, the discharge end of the unit being lowermost, a cylindrical shell surrounding said discharge end and extending downwardly therefrom to restrict the spreading of loops discharged by the unit, means supporting the cylindrical shell on the carrier member for concomitant movement therewith, and means carried by said shell for slidably contacting the loops on the discharge end of the unit.

11. A machine as defined by claim l0 in which the means carried by the shell for slidably contacting the loops on the discharge end of the unit comprises spring fingers.

References (litter! in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,980 Hubbard Aug. 1, 1905 2,028,532 Treloggen Jan. 21, 1936 2,722,729 Wilhelm Nov. 8, 1955 2,886,258 Haugwitz May 12, 1959 2,900,073 Blake et al Aug. 18, 1959 

